To Benjamin Franklin from Isaac Norris, 27 August 1760

From Isaac Norris

Letterbook copy: Historical Society of Pennsylvania

Augt. 27th. 1760

B Franklin

Above is Copy of my Last6 by Captain Friend. This incloses a second Bill of Exchange for £100—Sterl N 1876 drawn by Colonel J. Hunter on Messrs. Thomlinson &c. as it is uncertain whether our late Governor Denny will call and I do not certainly know when Capt. Hamet (by whom I purpose to send this) will sail) I shall send it to Town to be forwarded by My Brother. Captain (late Governor) Denny has repeatedly promised me to do us all the Services in his Power. His Connections and even intimacies with some considerable Persons in the Ministry he tells me are such that he hopes they may be of some use to the Province.7 I wish it may prove so on Tryal; his private Oeconomy may possibly have done him some disservice with regard to this Government at least we are told so. It has certainly been very odd and uncommon.

General Stanwix who is probably in England before now likewise promised me to serve us especially in regard to the Re Emitting Bill upon which I had several Conferences with him before it was enacted into a Law.8 It is rumoured here by the Proprietary Party that the Lottery Act the Court and the Land Office Laws will be repealed.9 I am ut Supra

7. Far from countenancing Denny when he returned to England, the ministry seriously considered prosecuting him for his scandalous sale of flags of truce to the merchants of Pa. See above, VI, 490 n.

8. On this act see above, pp. 146–53. Gen. John Stanwix (above, VII, 45 n; VIII, 419 n) appears to have been less than candid with Norris, because on June 17, 1759, Peters reported that the general had promised to expose “to the King’s Ministers in its true Light” the conduct of the Pa. Assembly in regard to this measure, so that such “Acts of Injustice … might not be confirmed.” Pa. Col. Recs., VIII, 356.

9. These rumors were well founded; all three acts were repealed by the King in Council, Sept. 2, 1760. See below. pp. 205, 210.

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